Revolving shield for cars



(No MQdeL) J. E. SHANAFELT.

REVOLVING SHIELD FOB. GARS.

No. 475,157. Y Patented May 1'7, 1892.

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- y A TTOHN E YS l NITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

JoHN E. SHANAEELT, or LAWRENCE, KANSAS.

REVOLVING 4SHIELD FOR CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 475,157, dated May 17, 1892.

Application filed November 13. 1891. Serial No. 411.834. (No model.)

To all whom it Jnay concern.-

Beit known that I, JOHN E. SHANAFELT, of Lawrence, in the county ot' Douglas and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Revolving Shields, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to turrets or shields, and has for its object to provide an improved turret or shield which, on account of its peculiar construction, is particularly adapted for use in banks, eXpress-cars,or any other place subject to attack.

A further object of my invention is to provide means for revolving theturret, ventilating, and rendering the same Safe against assaults. Y

With these various objects in view my invention consists in the peculiar construction ot' the various parts and their novel combination or arrangement, all of which will be fully described hereinafter, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved device. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal Section; and Fig. Sis a horizontal section.

In the practical embodiment ot' my invention I employ a metallic turret or shield 10, which is preferably cylindrical in shape, though it may be of any desired form. This turret or shield is also usually constructed and arranged to revolve; but it may also be built in the corner of a room, in which case it will necessarily be stationary. The turret or shield 10 is closed at the top and bottoni, and is provided with a door 11, which slides horizontally in the ways 11a, arranged upon the interior of the turret, said door being also secured upon the interior, thereby providing a safe retreat. The door 11 and the sides of the turret 10 are formed with port or sight holes 12, through which a person upon the interior may lire upon' an approaching enemy. The port or sight holes 12 are each provided with blinds 12, which can be opened or closed at will, said blinds sliding in the vertical guideways 12b, said blinds being limited in their movements by means of the stops 12C, attached to the side of turret in the path of the guideway. The top 'of the turret is provided with a central draft-opening 13, in

which is inserted a tube or tubular journal l4,which projects upward from said top, and when the turret is arranged in a room or car this tubular journal extends through the roof, thereby providing a means of ventilation as well as providing a journal upon which the turret can be revolved, if so desired. The sides of the turret may also be provided with a plurality of'air-holes to admit a constant supply of air. In case there should be any space between the turret and the floor or roof into which obstacles could be introduced to overturn the turret I provide a guard 15,

Vwhich is attached to the lower or upper end of the turret and reaches to the floor or roof, thereby preventing anything being inserted below or above the turret.

From the above it will be seen that I provide a shield to which a person may retreat and defend the surrounding space against the attacks of a mob without injury or risk to the defender, as it is bullet-proof, and no access can be had through the door or port-holes, nor can the turret or shield be overturned. It may, however, be desirable to revolve the turret in order to cover the enemy at all points, and to accomplish this I pivot the turret centrally upon a stud or pin 16 and provide a motor within the turret for revolving the same. This motor consists of the gear-Wheel 17, having a handle 17 a, and the toothed Wheel 17h, meshing therewith. These Wheels 17 and 1 7b are mounted upon a frame-work 18, arranged in the turret, and the toothed wheel 17 b extends through a slot 17 C, produced in the bottom of the turret, and engages a circular rackbar 19, attached to the iioor of the room or car, whereby when the wheel 17 is revolved by hand the toothed Wheel 17b will also revolve, and by engaging the rigid circular rackbar cause the turret to revolve. This rackbar is preferably laid Hush with the oor, in order to bring the bottom of the turret as near the tloor as possible.

A series of caster-rollers may be attached to the bottom of the turret to provide an additional support. Y

Though I prefer to use a rack-bar beneath the turret to insure a positive action of the same it may be dispensed with and the motor-wheel bear directly upon the door; and it will be understood that while my turret has IOO been shown as applied to a room or car it can also be employed in an open space, in which ease it is arranged in a rigid frame, the base or platform of said frame serving as the tloor and the top cross-piece acting as the roof.

The manner of operating my device is of course clear to every one, and it will be seen that I provide a cheap, simple, and eflicient shield or turret which can be used to great advantage in banks, express-cars, jails, and like places Where one person is liable to be set upon by a mob. i

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is l. The combination, with a turret or shield closed at the top and bottom, of the sliding door arranged upon the interior ot the same,

the said door and turret being formed with port-holes and the blinds for closing the same, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with a turret closed at the top and bottom, of the sliding door arranged upon the interior of the turret, which door and turret have port-holes, and the vertically-sliding blinds arranged upon the interior of the turret and door and the stops to limit their motion, substantially as shown and described.-

3. rlhe combination, with a revoluble lturret having port and air holes in the side and a central draftopening in the top, of a tubular journal inserted in said opening and projecting above the top, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination, with a turret adapted to be arranged in a room or car, of a guard attached to the end of turret., substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. The combination, with a turret adapted to be arranged in a room, of the guards attached to the upper and lower portions of the turret and adapted to prevent anything being inserted above or below the turret to overturn the same, substal'itiall y as shown and described.

6. The combination, with a turret having a central draft-opening, of a tubular journal inserted therein, the central pivot or stud, and a motor arranged in the turret to revolve the same, substantially as shown and described.

7. The combination, with a turret having a central draft-opening in thetop and a slot in the bottom` of a tubular journal inserted in the draft-opening, the central pivot, and the revoluble motor-wheel extending through the slot in the tloor, substantially as shown and described.

S. The combination, with the car, of the turret, the tubular journal, the circular track secured to the iloor of car, and the mechanical motor attached to one side of the turret and adapted to operate substantially as shown and described.

JOHN E. SHANAFELT.

lVitnesses:

H. I). VELSH, MARY AUKENY. 

